Mixed stocks in the US on analysts' ratings

In the US, shares ended Tuesday generally higher, led by some of the big names on the Nasdaq.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 44 points, lagging behind the other major averages. But the Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 5 points, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 28.

Gap (GPS) gained 2-1/2 percent after a Sterne Agee upgrade to "buy". But the brokerage downgraded TJX (TJX), which fell nearly 2 percent. TJX Cos. Analysts at Sterne Agee downgraded their recommendation on the stock from a “buy” to “neutral”. TJX Cos. has a 1-year low of 43.43 dollars per share and a 1-year high of 64.38 dollars apiece, what gives the company a market cap of 43.995 billion dollars.

Meanwhile, Target (TGT) also fell, shredding nearly 2 percent on more downgrades. On the upside, And Under Armour (UA) rose more than 3 percent after inking a 10-year deal with Notre Dame, which dropped rival apparel maker Adidas, reported the ‘Wall Street Journal’.

In London, Laura Ashley has rewarded shareholders with a 7.5 million pounds bonus, declaring an interim dividend of one pence per share for the year to 25 January. “This is to show our appreciation to the shareholders for their continued support,” the British retailer said in a statement.

Elsewhere, American Apparel Inc. has recently agreed to pay 4.8 million dollars to settle a class action in California federal court accusing the clothing retailer of lying to investors about the legal status of its immigrant employees, leading the company's stock to suffer following the workers' termination.